Nerlens Noel quietly had a nice game for the Thunder

You may not be able to tell just by looking at the box score but Nerlens Noel had a nice game.

Noel recorded five points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block in 14 minutes of action. He gave the Thunder a nice change-of-pace from Steven Adams in the game as Adams struggled in pick-and-roll coverage.

The Nets took advantage of the Thunder on several occasions on pick-and-roll plays but Noel helped the team recover given his quickness and versatility.

On one sequence, in particular, Noel poked the ball loose from D’Angelo Russell and then hit a 15-foot jumper. It may not seem like a lot but that was a crucial stretch for the Thunder in the fourth when they were making a run.

On another sequence when the Thunder were rallying, it appeared as though Noel should have drawn a foul as he was hit in the face but the officials apparently didn’t see it and didn’t call it.

Although Noel did finish a team-worst minus-16 on the court, those minutes he played in the fourth quarter were quite productive for the Thunder as they were rallying.

After the win on Wednesday, the Thunder return to action on Friday in Chicago.

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Cody Taylor

Cody Taylor is the Editor and Lead Writer for OKC Thunder Wire based out of Orlando, Florida. He previously spent five years covering the NBA for Basketball Insiders and HoopsWorld. In addition, he has also covered college sports at UCF, including baseball, football and basketball.